Spoelstra insists rebounding can be fixed internally

January 5, 2013|By Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel

MIAMI — The Miami Heat need more rebounds. They don't need more rebounders.

That was the message from coach Erik Spoelstra following Saturday's practice at AmericanAirlines Arena, a session that came in the wake of being pummeled 48-28 on the boards in Friday's 96-89 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

"The answers are in this gym, and we're capable of it," Spoelstra insisted.

While the Heat thrived with a small-ball approach during their postseason run to last season's NBA championship, the team took a more conventional approach during the regular season in the first two seasons with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Two seasons ago, that meant time in the middle for Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Erick Dampier. Last season, it meant injecting Ronny Turiaf into the mix.

With the Heat having been obliterated on the boards in recent weeks by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic and, now, the Bulls, Spoelstra was asked whether Pat Riley, in his role as lead personnel executive, had been brought into the discussion.

"We never stop talking about trying to improve the team," Spoelstra said. "That's Pat's nature. That's why I love working for him. But the answer right now is from within, and we all know that, the guys know that."

Through a team spokesman, Riley, who declined to be interviewed, said Saturday, "We are always very diligent in looking for ways to improve this team. Having said that, we have enough."

The Heat in the offseason allowed Turiaf to depart to the Los Angeles Clippers as a free agent, bypassed Andray Blatche in free agency in favor Rashard Lewis, and passed on offseason interest from veteran forward Kenyon Martin.

The best of current available free-agent big men include Chris Andersen, Ben Wallace, Dan Gadzuric, Earl Barron, D.J. Mbenga, Tony Battie, Hassan Whiteside and former Heat center Mickell Gladness.

The Heat on Saturday opened a roster spot with the release of guard Terrel Harris and it is possible a veteran big man shakes free in coming days, with teams having until Monday to make moves in advance of the NBA's Thursday guarantee date. In addition, starting Sunday teams can sign players to up to two 10-day contracts.

To Spoelstra, though, the focus was on the 13 players had had on the court Saturday (third-year center Dexter Pittman is on NBA Development League assignment) in preparation for Sunday's game against the visiting Washington Wizards.

"This is something that we're going to fix," Spoelstra said. "That's all it was about today."

Of course Spoelstra said the same thing after his team was outrebounded 53-24 by the Timberwolves and 50-33 by the Magic.

The difference this time is Saturday's video session included a rebound-by-rebound breakdown of Friday's fiasco.

"We went over every single one of 'em," Spoelstra said. "And now it's just a matter of changing it and really committing to that side of the floor."

That's when Spoelstra tried to make a positive out of the negative.

"We're improving in so many other areas, particularly offensively," he said. "We have guys going for career highs in shooting percentages. The ball is moving. It's the best assist group we've had with this team in the last three years, since we put it together.

"We're improving in other areas. That's the area that's got to take the priority right now. So we have to improve that area."

By the time the video session was over, players were tired of the rhetoric.

"Plain simple fact is that [Sunday] we must win and we must rebound to win," center Chris Bosh said. "So our defense has to get better, our rebounding has to get better."

Forward LeBron James said the video session was more informative than punitive.

"Nothing that was that glaring, that needs to be fixed," he said. "It's something that we know, that we've been talking about that needs to be controlled."

The most discouraging aspect Friday was the Bulls' 19-4 edge on offensive rebounds.

"It's hard not to have your spirit collapsed," Spoelstra said of yielding so many offensive rebounds. "It can be deflating when you have a great defensive possession for 18, 22 seconds and then it turns into an offensive rebound and then you have to do it all over again."

But while Spoelstra has his conversations with Riley, his players are prepared to move forward without a robo-rebounder being added.

"We got what we got," James said. "We can't go searching for something that we don't have. What we've got in the lineup or what we got in uniform is who we have, so we got to go out and get a job done."